Worrying list of THIRTY new Covid exposure sites spread across NSW

Thirty venues have been added to New South Wales’s list of Covid exposure sites with major supermarkets, trendy cafes and bakeries across the state all put on high alert as the virus reaches two more towns in the state’s central west. 

All of the new venues flagged by NSW Health late on Sunday night are outside of Sydney in towns such as Dubbo, Maitland, Mudgee, Branxton, Greta and Lake Munmorah, as the city’s outbreak threatens to infect the rest of the state.

In a worrying development, the towns of Bathurst and Orange have been added to the list for the first time.

A Subway restaurant in Bathurst is a venue of concern, as are the Village Bakehouse and Byng Street cafes in Orange. 

The alerts come just 24 hours after the NSW government ordered all of the state into lockdown, with a record high 466 cases on Saturday followed by a further 415 infections on Sunday.

The far western NSW town of Dubbo and surrounding areas remain of high concern for state health officials as 21 new transmissions were recorded in the region this morning.

Close contact alerts have been urgently issued for anyone who attended Dubbo Scout Hall on August 8 between 4:30pm to 5:30pm and for those who visited Russo’s Coffee Bar on August 11 from 7:50am to 8am.

Anyone who was at these venues during these times must now immediately get tested and self isolate for 14 days regardless of the result. 

That also goes for customers at the Bathurst Subway on August 7 from 12.50pm-1.30pm, the Village Bakehouse in Orange on August 8 from 10.50am-12.10pm, and Orange’s Byng Street Cafe on August 8 from 12.50pm-1.30pm. 

It is the same story for customers and staff at the Mudgee Bakery & Cafe on August 9 between 9:10am to 9:45am and at Mudgee Muffin Break on August 11 from 9:15am to 9:20am.

Meanwhile, Maitland’s Sudania Café and Restaurant in the Hunter Valley was flagged for July 31 and Darby Raj in Newcastle’s Cooks Hill also received an alert for August 4. 

While the vast majority of Covid infections still remain in Sydney’s west, spot fires of transmission are flaring up across the state in regional areas. 

Casual alerts across the Hunter Valley region were issued for Branxton Coles, Greta Caltex, the Maitland The Reject Shop, along with Lake Munmorah Woolworths on the Central Coast.

Shoppers and staff who attended on during the times and dates listed by NSW health must immediately get tested and self isolate until they receive a negative result.   

There were 12 casual alerts for venues in Dubbo including Aldi, Woolworths,  Bunnings and the popular Dubbo Dubbo Farmer’s Market. 

Two local chemists – Priceline Pharmacy and Terry White Chemmart were also issued public health alerts, while nearby Mudgee Bunnings was also flagged.

NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian abruptly walked out on her Sunday press conference after her strategy for tackling the Delta outbreak was questioned as Sydney’s Covid crisis deepens.

Another 415 new cases of Covid-19 and four more deaths in NSW were confirmed on Sunday, 24 hours after a record 466 cases and four deaths on Saturday.

Grim-faced Ms Berejiklian had to lower expectations on restrictions being eased at the end of August when the lockdown is due to end.

After intense questioning about what, if any, changes could be made when six million jabs are delivered given cases are still soaring, the premier finally lost patience.

‘No! No! Can I be very specific about this. We need to keep case numbers as low as possible,’ she said, losing her cool in the briefing’s final minutes.

‘We cannot live freely, right, just because you can do it one additional thing doesn’t mean living freely.’

Ms Berejiklian faced a series of questions trying to clarify how many cases would have to fall by August 28 for restrictions to ease, and if NSW could end lockdown at 70 per cent vaccination if cases were still high.

‘With the cases we have seen, 400s, 300s, will you still consider easing some restrictions around the six million vaccination target?’ was the question that sent her over the edge.

After just one more question, Ms Berejiklian abruptly ended the press conference and walked out.

‘I have answered that question a few times,’ she said, in response to the similar question, before pivoting to a plea to Sydneysiders.

‘Our future is in our hands. The future of our nation is our hands and we have chance to reduce case numbers and get vaccine rates up,’ she said.

‘The majority of people as living the right thing. I’m very encouraged by the number of people getting forward for their vaccine. Thank you. 

‘Dr Chant and I are pleased and we see those numbers ticking over every day but what gives us heart attacks every day is seeing the trajectory of cases go up in certain communities can stop we can’t afford to let that happen. 

‘It has to go down. Please stay home. Don’t leave home unless you must. Get your vaccine. Together, we will get through this.

‘Thanks, everybody. We will come back tomorrow.’ 

Ms Berejiklian earlier said it was vital to see cases numbers fall and vaccination rates hit at least 70 per cent before NSW could even consider ending lockdown.

But she was not prepared to put a specific timeline on what now might happen in the face of the ‘very stubborn’ Delta variant of the disease.

‘We are throwing everything we can to make sure that we achieve those outcomes in NSW,’ she said.

‘Our aim is to have case numbers as low as possible and to have vaccination rates as high as possible. We have to achieve both for us to live freely into the future. 

‘We need to keep case numbers as low as possible. Living freely will not be upon us until we have lower case numbers and 70 per cent, 80 per cent double doses.

‘I cannot stress that enough.’ 

She added: ‘I think all of us accept that completely eliminating Delta is something that is near impossible.

‘But what we desperately, desperately need is to get those numbers as low as possible to make it safe.

‘The experience of Delta is that no other jurisdiction has been able to eliminate it. It’s not possible to eliminate it completely.

‘We have to learn to live with it. But the best chance we have to live with it freely and safely is to get the case numbers down as low as possible.’

The premier strongly hinted that anyone vaccinated would almost certainly be allowed to do more than those still waiting to be jabbed.

‘We are looking for what opportunities we can provide our citizens in September and October,’ she said.

‘Many are very keen to see us provide additional things you can do in September and October in a safe way, if you are vaccinated.’ 

When asked whether the idea of getting to ‘Covid-zero’ was gone and if state borders would be closed until Christmas, Ms Berejiklian reiterated that authorities are looking to get case numbers as low as possible.  

Four people died in the 24 hours to 8pm on Saturday, including an unvaccinated woman in her 50s, another in her 70s who had one jab, a man in his 80s and a vaccinated woman in her 80s who had an underlying health condition. 

Ms Berejiklian said on Sunday that the new infections are concentrated around western Sydney, specifically in Blacktown, Mount Druitt, Merion, Maryland, Orban and Guildford.

People in  Sydney, Wollongong, the Blue Mountains and the Central Coast have now been in lockdown for 51 days.

On Saturday it was announced that the whole of NSW, including regional areas, will be plunged into a seven-day lockdown at 5pm, but Health Minister Greg Hunt wrongly told reporters on Sunday the lockdown was for 14 days. 

‘The strong, clear, unequivocal support for the hard 14-day statewide lockdown is a difficult decision,’ he told reporters.

‘It affects a lot of people. It is the right decision and that is backed by the very significant injuries and vaccinated which were occurring but which will now be aided by additional doses.’ 

There are 62 people in NSW in ICU with Covid, including a 15-year-old who also has meningitis. 

Ms Berejiklian also said NSW has hit 5 million vaccinations so far, and 50 per cent of people have had one jab.